If you are an ardent follower of American shows and sitcoms, the idea and hype of Halloween won't be alien to you. And if you haven't yet watched them, then you would know it from the children in your home. The age of the internet is bringing cultures close and one of the most exciting parts of the culture is its festivals. While India has a multitude of festivals, the country has adopted various festivals from the West — New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day, among others. These festivals are acknowledged by a larger population in both urban and rural India. But the festival that has captured the spirit of children and young adults through popular culture is Halloween. While we list out the noble western celebrations, one wonders about the relevance of American celebrations in India, especially Halloween.
Being at our spooky and creative best
In the last couple of years, the trend of celebrating Halloween has caught up. A few years ago, not many in India knew that the day marks the beginning of the three-day observance of Allhallowtide — encompassing All Saints’ Eve (Halloween), All Saints’ Day (All Hallows’), and All Souls’ Day. Yet, the festival is popular in India, keeping the religious context aside and being our spooky and creative best.
Sensitising children about others' culture
With spooky pumpkins, bizarre costumes and over-the-top makeup, trick or treating for children, and themed parties for the adults, Halloween is becoming part of Indian culture. Don't we have our own desi festivals, especially at this time of the year? Some ask.
“None of our celebrations involve dressing up as spooky creatures. Kids love Halloween because they get to dress differently and children like those spooky characters," says Deeksha Parmar, a mother of an eight-year-old son. She adds, "There shouldn't be any fuss about celebrating a western festival. We as parents also get to show our creativity."
Aruna Joshi, a teacher by profession and a mother of a 12-year-old son is already gearing up for two Halloween celebrations — one in school and one in her society. "I think this is also a way to give children a global perspective about celebrations. They can celebrate multiple festivals and be aware about what happens outside India," says Aruna. She further points out that celebrating western festivals is also a way to sensitise children about others' beliefs. "Children get to see that there are similarities in belief systems for certain festivals, maybe the way of celebration is different," she adds.
Not at the cost of surpassing Indian festivals
"I feel western festivals are surpassing Indian festivals. Kids know about New Year's Eve but they don't know when is the Indian New year. They don't know why we have Pitru Paksha before Navratri. I think this should also be acknowledged in schools. Don't we have Indian festivals to celebrate? What is the need to celebrate Western festivals?" asks Dimple Chawla.
Rajney Pradhan, on the other hand, opines, "If children are happy and it brings joy into their lives, there is no harm in celebrating a festival, irrespective of western or Indian. This is also a way for parents to update themselves with changing times to understand what their kids are up to."
Though Halloween has gained popularity in India, the phenomenon remains relegated to certain sections of urban horror movie buffs and American sitcom lovers.
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